ISLAMABAD: Justice Athar Minallah of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday referred a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal to another bench.

The petition has been filed by Sakina Begum through her counsel Maulana Wajihullah against Justice Iqbal, who is also the chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on May 11, 2017, had ordered the commission to provide certified copies of record related to the proceedings in the case of a missing person, Khalid Mehmood, his relative.

Petition has been filed against Justice Iqbal, who is also chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances

Spy agencies had informed the commission that Mr Mehmood had been detained for anti-state activities and was in the custody of law enforcement agencies.

The petitioner then filed an application with Justice Iqbal and his secretary Fareed Ahmed Khan requesting them to provide her the certified copies of the entire proceedings. The application was, however, rejected.

Sakina Begum then filed a petition in IHC and Justice Kayani directed the respondents Justice Iqbal and his secretary to provide the required documents to the petitioner.

In the petition seeking contempt proceedings against Justice Iqbal, it has been alleged that the commission did not implement the court order despite several reminders.

It said on March 21, 2015, about 20 officials wearing military and police uniforms trespassed into the petitioner’s resident in Feroz Pura Rawalpindi and abducted Mr Mehmood.

The petition said “non-implementation of the direction dated May 11, 2017, passed by this Honorable court tantamount to committing contempt of said order.

The respondents [retired Justice Javed Iqbal and Fareed Khan] intentionally, willfully and malafidely completely ignored the order of this Honorable Court.”

It requested the court to initiate contempt of court proceeding against both the respondents.

After taking up the contempt petition on Friday, Justice Minallah referred it to Justice Kayani who will take it up next week.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2018